


Not Alone Anymore

by MissyLaMotte



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-04 06:44:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1769491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissyLaMotte/pseuds/MissyLaMotte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a little extra scene set directly after Charles and Erik first meet and Charles pulls him back to the surface. Because ... well ... because there never can be enough Charles/Erik I guess, even though this is not really slashy, more a bit of bonding and bromance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Alone Anymore

They sat in the Zodiac shivering, each of them wrapped in a rough woolen blanket the soldiers had handed to them. Charles coughed, then leaned over the side of the small craft to spit out more of the seawater he had swallowed. Erik looked at him and shook his head.  
"I can't believe you jumped off that ship. Why did you come after me?"  
"Because I knew you would have drowned. I could feel your thoughts. I knew you wouldn't let go of that submarine."  
"Yeah, but you don't even know me. And you clearly are not that much of a swimmer"  
Chalres smiled sheepishly at that. It was true. Water had never been much of his element. He had not hesitated for a second, but once he had pulled Erik back to the surface, once the adrenaline rush had been over the minutes till the lifeboat arrived had dragged on forever while he desperately treaded water. He was totally spent and physically exhausted now.  
"It just seemed like the right thing to do. We need to stick together."  
We. Erik still had to come to terms with the fact that there were others like him.  
"So it is true? You know more people like us? People with ... abilities?"  
Charles nodded.  
"My sister for one. Well, she is not really my sister, but we grew up together. She just showed up at our place, out of the blue."  
He grinned at that. The blue thing that came out of the blue.  
"I guess I am really lucky to have found her that early. It helped me to come to terms with what I am. What we are. Plus she is a fantastic person. You will like her."  
Erik smiled wickedly.  
"Is she hot?"  
That stomped Charles for a moment.  
"I don't ... well, yes, I guess ... I never ... she is not ..."  
 _Keep your hands off my sister!_  
When the telepathic warning sounded in his head, Erik laughed goodnaturedly and raised his hands.  
"Calm down! I was just kidding. So, what is her gift? What does she do?"  
"She can change her appearance. Can make herself look like any other person. Quite extraordinary. She looked like my mum, when I first met her."  
"That must have been an interesting ... Charles?"  
Erik interrupted himself when the other man suddenly threw the blanket aside and jumped to his feet, swaying dangerously on the speeding craft. Charles's hand went up to his head, as if a sudden headache had befallen him. Erik pushed himself up to steady his new friend, but he was too late. Before he could grab a hold of him, the telepath had fallen over the side of the boat. Or had he jumped? His body disappeared under water and did not come back up.  
"Stop the boeat!" Erik cried. The soldiers who were steering the boat needed some time to understand what had happened. Time Erik wasn't willing to grant them. With one motion of his hand he ripped the propellor off the engine, bringing the lifeboat to a sudden halt. Without hesitation Erik flung himself into the water.  
"Charles!"  
He dove under the surface in the direction he had last seen the other mutant. It was pitch dark. His eyes would not be much use. Feeling with his mind, with his powers, Erik reached out, trying to take hold of any piece of metal that could help him locate the telepath. He could feel a piece of brass, a beltbuckle probably. Desperately Erik pulled it towards him, stretching out his hands, feeling them connect with fabric, with hair. Gripping the other man firmly he pulled him back up. Charles struggled in his arms. Finally Erik broke through the surface, hungrily sucking fresh air into his lungs. He pulled Charles up, tried to keep his head over water, but the telepath still clutched both hands to his temples, his face contorted in pain or excertion, his body convulsing with the effort to escape Erik's hold, as if something was trying to drag him down into the deep again.  
"Halt still, verdammt nochmal", Erik cursed in German. Then, when he realized he had changed languages, he switched back to English. "I am trying to help you. Hold still!"  
"The other telepath", Charles managed to sputter. "She's so strong. I can't block her out!"  
He struggled again, nearly slipping out of Erik's grasp, crying out in agony and clutching his head. Suddenly Erik knew what to do.  
"I am sorry!" he said as his fist connected with Charles's temple. The telepath went limb in his arms. Erik dragged his body over to the boat which was floating helplessly on the waves nearby. One of the soldiers grabbed Charles's shoulders and pulled him aboard, a second one extended a hand to Erik and hauled him over the side.  
"Get us out of here, fast. Before he wakes back up", the German commanded.  
"Can't! The machine broke down", one of the soldiers explained. "We signaled to the ship to send us another zodiac to pull us out. It should be here any second now."  
Erik felt around frantically, searching for the submarine. If the female telepath could still reach Charles's mind, she had to be nearby. But there was nothing in the waters around them, except the battleship in the distance, the debris from Shaw's yacht and the other lifeboat that was now speeding towards them. The German grabbed the blanket Charles had tossed aside earlier and covered his unconscious friend with it, gently wiping his wet hair out of his face. The other man stirred under his touch. Erik braced himself, ready to hold him down should he try to get over board again.  
 _It's okay! She's gone._  
The voice in his head was a bit shaky but reassuring. Charles opened his eyes and his bright blue eyes found Erik's darker ones.  
"You jumped in after me. Thank you."  
Erik smiled.  
"It just seemed like the right thing to do."  
He sat down, wrapping himself in a blanket once more. When Charles was shaken by another coughing fit, Erik helped him into a half sitting position and then pulled him over so that his head came to rest in his lap. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to do. He was not alone anymore.


End file.
